


How to Seduce a British Magizoologist

by ComputerGecko



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Mating Rituals, Mutual Pining, Oblivious!Newt, smitten!Graves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-03 03:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10958994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComputerGecko/pseuds/ComputerGecko
Summary: A field guide by Percival GravesAlternate title: 5 times Graves tries to woo newt with different creature mating rituals, + 1 time is actually works





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to post this when it was done but honestly wanted to get some feedback on it and maybe find some motivation to finish it. I have so many Gramander things I want to write but I dont know if I'm doing the characters any justice. Please let me know what you think :)
> 
> I will be posting the preface and part 1. Beta-d by the lovely fairychemist <3 she deserves so much love.
> 
> I can be found on tumblr, my [newt roleplay blog here](https://newton-af-scamander.tumblr.com) and [my main here](https://computergecko.tumblr.com)

**How to Seduce a British Magizoologist  
** _A field Guide by Percival Graves_

_Preface_

 

Percival Graves (the real one) enters his office in a foul mood. He’s just gotten back from another frustrating lunch (not) date with one Newt Scamander - author, magizoologist, and the most oblivious man Graves has ever met.

He pulls his scarf off and throws it toward the coat rack behind him. It misses by a long shot, but he fixes it with a simple wave of his wand. His coat is similarly ripped off and spelled to float over to join the scarf. He stalks to his desk and sits in his chair, elbows propped up on his wenge wood desk with fingers steepled together. He fumes silently as he stares unblinkingly, mind playing over the events of the meal.

The lunch itself had gone great. It was the third lunch Graves had managed to convince the magizoologist to attend and they were finally managing a steady amount of eye contact. Newt had even laughed at one of his funnier tales of working as the Director of Magical Security, specifically a story about an escaped group of cornish pixies making fools out of his best aurors.

It had been going so well that Graves had managed to get himself an invitation to see the inside of the infamous case. Feeling bold, Graves had invited him to dinner, and that’s when it went downhill.

“I already promised Queenie that I’d join them for dinner tonight. She went and got special ingredients for her family’s famous Jumping Bean salad.” Newt looked over at him regretfully while his left hand fidgets with his fork. He perks up a bit, meeting Percival’s gaze. “I could ask if they have enough for another, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”

Graves had declined the offer, saying he didn’t want to intrude without notice. Newt nodded in understanding rather than insisting, for which Graves was grateful.

“What about dinner next week?” Percival nearly inhaled his spoon when Newt himself offered an alternative for their dinner. He cleared his throat to mask his shock, setting his spoon back into the bowl of soup in front of him.

“I would be free next Thursday night, around seven?” he offered, hoping he isn’t coming off as too eager.

“Wonderful! I’ll inform the girls, see if they are free that night.” Just like that, the tentative hope building up in Graves’ chest was doused with cold water.

And that is how Graves found himself the host of a small dinner party set for next week, since he couldn’t bother to correct Newt and disappoint him. The magizoologist had looked so excited about it and now Percival would be subject to a night of entertaining guests in his small apartment. He would have to get his place in order and figure out what he was going to make. He will have to see if he has enough place settings for four, as the life of an antisocial bachelor means one set is more than enough.

Is Newt not interested? It seems to Graves like the other wizard isn’t even aware of his intentions, though he has been nothing but direct. After the first date Graves knew subtlety would be lost on Newt. He just hadn’t thought that directness would fail as well.

It’s not as much of a shock though - the magizoologist was more in tune with his beasts than with humans and was often unaware of social cues and nuances. Graves would have an easier time communicating his intentions if he were one of Newt’s magical creatures.

Actually… that’s not a half bad idea. That might just work.

If he can’t get Newt’s attention the human way, maybe he would have more luck the beast way.


	2. The Niffler

**How to Seduce a British Magizoologist  
** _A field Guide by Percival Graves_

_Niffler_

> _The male Niffler will take prized treasures from its own nest and present them to the female that it is trying to impress. The more valued the treasure, the more interest it shows the female. The female then takes the gift, and will either return it later or decide to keep it. The females have been known to keep things for up to two days before they return it, or some even return it on the spot. The male Niffler will sniff around the female’s home to see if the gift is being displayed in the female’s home. The female may also reject gifts from the same male multiple times before accepting them, so the males usually start small and give grander and grander gifts. I once even witnessed a male Niffler get rejected fourteen times before being chosen.  
>  _
> 
> _Once the female has accepted the gift, she will then place it at the entrance to her home, where the male will then pick it up and bring it inside to her and commence with mating. This lasts approximately 24 hours, before the couple parts ways, the female keeping the offered treasure as her own. The male will then visit every night until one night it leaves with a small treasure from the female’s nest and does not return. This signifies the female is succesfully with child._

The section on Nifflers goes on to the gestation time and upbringing of the Niffler but Graves only needs the mating ritual part. A complicated yet simple tradition, Graves decides to start with the Niffler. He looks around his apartment, taking in the furnishings and the sparse homey trinkets. He highly doubts gifting his couch to Newt will be ideal, but maybe one of his framed pictures? Would sentimental value be better or materialistic? The Niffler was quite fond of anything of worth. Maybe his Grandmother’s antique silver tea set would be more appropriate.

Time to visit the Graves family vault then.

xXx

An unexpected chance shows up the next day after work. Percival is walking home from MACUSA that day so he can stop by the store to grab some dinner, pulling his scarf tighter around his neck when the early december wind whips at his face, the cold sucking out any body heat he manages to produce. He would have preferred to Apparate but the store was a Muggle store and that was a security risk. He ducks into the store away from the wind, rubbing his gloved hands together to drive the cold away, when he spots his favorite magizoologist in the very same store.

Even with his back to Percival, it is unmistakably Newt, with his signature blue coat and mop of red hair. The redhead is hunched over the fruits, picking up a sack of oranges and inspecting them before adding it to his already generous pile. He must be shopping for his creatures. Percival makes his way over to him, smile pulling at his lips. The bite of cold is already being replaced with a warmth blooming in his chest.

“Mr. Scamander, what a pleasant surprise.”

The man startles and spins around; as his eyes meet Graves’, a soft smile spreads over freckled cheeks that are still rosy from the cold. Graves swallows the lump in his throat that forms at the attractive sight before him.

“Percival,” Newt breathes, tone pleasantly warm. “I thought I told you to call me Newt.”

“Newt,” he corrects himself. They haven’t been on a first name basis for very long, and Graves is still in a workplace mindset. The resulting smile is worth it, and Percival joins Newt in his shopping, remaining after he’s already picked up everything he needs to help Newt carry the alarming amount of food to the register. The cashier eyes them questioningly but doesn’t say anything, just ringing them up.

Newt declines his offer of further help home and piles the grocery bags into his arms. Graves finds himself once again marveling at the hidden strength in Newt’s skinny body. He holds the bags of meat with ease and they make their way out of the store and back into the cold.

“Mercy Lewis, Newt, where are your gloves? Your hat? I know you own at least a scarf.” The magizoologist at least manages to look apologetic as he smiles sheepishly.

“It may have slipped my mind? By the time I noticed it was too much trouble to turn around.”

“Too much trouble-” Graves huffs and pulls his scarf from around his neck, wrapping it around the protesting magizoologist. It then occurs to him that he is giving something of his own to Newt, and wonders if this might count as a courting gift.

“Th-thank you,” the magizoologist is blushing, and Graves has an inkling that it isn’t just from the cold. Newt has his chin tucked into his chest, nose buried into Graves’ scarf as he glances up as graves under auburn eyelashes. The sight of Newt wrapped in his scarf causes something animalistic inside of him to purr in approval.

They hold each other’s gaze for a few more intense moments before a no-maj bumps into Graves and the contact breaks. Graves scowls at the man, who is scowling right back at him over his shoulder.

“I’d better go,” Newt says, and Graves attention is back on him now. Graves fishes for something to say to keep him here longer.

“Are you walking from here then?” Newt nods in answer. “Would you like to side-along with me? It’s no problem.”

Newt shakes his head, “I’m not a huge fan of side-alongs. If I get splinched I’d rather it be my own fault.” Graves offers to walk him to the nearest approved Apparition point and Newt at least allows that.

“So you finally got your Apparition license then?”

“Er, not exactly.”

“You know, of all the people to admit that to, the Director of Magical Security isn’t your best choice, Newt.”

“Probably not, no.” Newt giggles. They both know Graves wouldn’t be doing anything about it.

“Swing by my office tomorrow with the form, I’ll sign off on it.” It’s not his usual job, and if Madame Picquery saw it it would earn a raised brow, but no one would question his signing it. Hell, half the department wouldn’t even be surprised; they were all involved in a betting pool on his relationship with the visiting wizard.

“Good night, Percival.” Newt dips his head in farewell then Disapparates away.

xXx

The next morning his rather good mood is dampened when he finds the scarf neatly folded on his desk along with the filled out Apparition permit and a small folded paper with his name written across it in Newt’s neat scrawl.

He picks up the note in one hand and thumbs it open, other hand still shoved deep in his pocket.

Thank you for letting me borrow this.  
I shall endeavor to remember mine going forward.  
I’m not used to this New York weather, it seems.

-Newt

Its disappointing to see the scarf returned, but a smile forms on his lips anyway. The book had said that the gifts could be returned, so he would just need to try again. Let it never be said that Percival Graves gives up without a fight.

xXx

Saturday morning half past noon finds Graves in his kitchen, sipping coffee and dressed in pajamas while reading the Daily Ghost. He’d slept in today, his night blessedly free of nightmares thanks to his volunteering to be Newt’s guinea pig for his diluted swooping evil venom. Percival chalks it down as a success.

He is reaching the bottom of his coffee and is about to stand to get a refill when there’s a knock on the door. Percival pauses, wondering if he’s hearing things. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Maybe it’s his landlady? The knock sounds again, this time a little louder. Percival pushes his chair back and stands, pulling his bathrobe shut and tying it closed. He’s wearing a shirt and pants underneath but still feels the need for extra cover.

He opens the door to find Newt standing in his hallway, a white primate creature with large eyes hanging from his neck, an Occamy cradled in its arm. Percival almost lets his jaw drop. Instead he grabs Newt and drags him inside, sticking his head into the hall to see if anyone’s around. The coast is clear, so he turns and shuts the door, sliding the lock shut. He whirls on Newt, who is bent over to let the creature down.

“Newt, please tell me you weren’t walking around the Muggle occupied apartment complex with your creature clearly visible to all.” He sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. The magizoologist shoots him a startled look, shaking his head.

“I mean, yes, I carried him the whole way. But Dougal was invisible!” Newt explains, raising more questions.

“Dougal?”

“Ah, yes, this is Dougal.” Newt gestures to the creature standing next to him, who looks at Percival with its large eyes. Percival nods his head, greeting it awkwardly.

“Pleasure to meet you… Dougal.” The creature just continues to look at him, giving Graves the feeling that it;s looking into his soul. He shifts onto his other foot and averts his eyes. Turning his attention back to Newt, he sees that the other man looks pleased.

“He’s invisible to no-maj’s?” He asked, because he was able to see the creature plain as day.

“Ah no, he can actually turn invisible. He’s my demiguise. They are often hunted for their pelts to make invisibility cloaks. I rescued him from a poacher in Papua New Guinea.”

Percival nods along, glancing back at the demiguise and sees it’s no longer watching him. Instead, it’s tugging on Newt’s coat sleeve. The magizoologist turns to him and Dougal points at the case.

“Oh, you want back in?” Dougal nodded and Newt set the case down, undoing the latches and opening the cover so the creature could amble back into it. “Thank you for helping me,” Newt said down into the case before he shut it and re-latched it.

“I didn’t know you knew where I lived,” Graves says. He wasn’t aware that any of the other aurors knew either; some even joke that he lives in the woolworth building. Sometimes it certainly feels like it.

“I didn’t. Dougal showed me.”

“Dougal knows where I live?”

“Oh, right, he’s able to see the future and he was able to see Thursday when we have dinner.” Percival doesn’t know what to say to that - he’s still processing the fact that Newt is in his house, having sought him out. Newt himself looks up at Percival and the smile slips off of his face.

“Oh, no. That was terribly rude of me, wasn’t it? I can leave-”

Percival jumps into motion, steering Newt further into his apartment. “It’s fine, really, I was just surprised is all. In a good way.” Newt smiles back at him over his shoulder, hesitant, then ducks his head down and holds his case up. “If you’re free I brought my case over, if you still wanted to meet everyone.” Newt looks up at him under his lovely red bangs, eyes shining with excitement and trust. Percival licks his suddenly dry lips.

“I’d be honoured, Newt.”

Newt beams and sets the case down, kneeling beside it and thumbing the latches open.

“Give me a few minutes, I would like to change into some more appropriate clothing.” Graves gestures down to his pajamas, and Newt suddenly looks embarrassed.

“Did I wake you? I’m terribly sorry if I did.” The Englishman looks like he’s about to pack up his case but Graves waves him off.

“I’ve been awake for a bit, just too comfortable to change.” Newt seems pacified by this and no longer looks like he’s going to try to leave. Percival shoots one last smile at him before he retreats to his room to change into a pair of trousers and a simple white button down and black vest. He grabbed a box off of his dresser that he had been intending to give later but now would work better.

He reenters the living room where he left Newt only to find the man gone, his case lying open in the center of the floor. Percival wanders over and looks down into the case, where he finds a ladder leading down into what looks like a mess.

“Newt?” He calls down hesitantly, and the man in question appears, looking up at him with a smile and beckoning him down with a gesture. He strides off again and Percival makes his descent into the infamous case. 

The end of the ladder brings him into a small hut where every surface is covered with papers filled with writings and drawings. There are magical devices strewn about, some he recognizes, most he doesn’t. Plants, herbs, and ingredients hang from the ceiling or lie bound in bundles on tables. It all seems to be organized though, in some way that goes right over Percival’s head but it’s just so very Newt that Percival loves it instantly.

He spends a few minutes looking around in wonder as Newt strips down to his shirtsleeves. Percival may or may not be distracted as Newt unbuttons the cuffs and shoves them up to his elbows, showing off his freckled forearms. Percival notes the small pale scars scattered on his arms, bite marks and scratches, even a healing pink scratch in the inside of his left elbow. Scars that just make Newt more beautiful in Percival’s eyes, scars that tell a story of the dedication Newt has to his creatures.

Newt turns back to him, a bucket of meat in one hand, and offers a smaller one out to Percival. He takes it and looks inside, where round earthy-smelling pellets are heaped to the brim. Percival in return holds the box out to Newt, who looks puzzled.

“What is this?”

“The point of a gift is to open it and find out,” Graves says.

Newt doesn’t respond to that but instead takes the wooden box into his free hand, long fingers brushing Percival’s. He sets the pail of meat down with a hearty clunk and caresses the smooth wood of the box with his spindly fingers, Percival watching with rapt attention. Newt has the most ridiculously sexy hands; Percival often catches himself thinking of how they would look wrapped around his- wand. Yes, ahem, wand. Not anything else. He reverts his eyes to the gift, blushing slightly.

The Graves family crest is carved into the top of the shallow square box, a wampus standing on its hind legs, roaring skyward with its tails fanned out behind it. It had been a disappointment to his family when he had chosen Thunderbird at Ilvermorny, but he hadn’t regretted his choice. They had gotten over it with time.

Newt flips up the latch and opens the box, staring down at its contents with a puzzled look. “I’m afraid I don’t quite understand?” Newt says as he reaches in and pulls out an intricate silver chain necklace sprayed with diamonds and sapphires.

“It belonged to my mother.”

“I’m not quite sure it would suit me,” Newt looks even more confused, and Percival is regretting all of this, wants to take it back. Newt probably thinks he’s strange now, but his throat is closing and he struggles to find words. Newt places it back into the box. “Besides, it would get in the way of my work and would just end up gathering dust in a corner.” Newt tries to hand it back, and Graves’ shoulders slump with the rejection.

“Yes, sorry, you’re right. It was silly. I had been reading about Nifflers and-” and speak of the devil the Demiguise comes back in holding the Niffler above it’s head, and both wizards turn their attention to the cacophony of noise it makes as it wanders into the hut with the struggling creature. The Niffler looks far from pleased at the turn of events until it sniffs the airs and its head swivels around to look at them, or more precisely at the box full of jewels.

Newt turns back to Percival with one of the brightest smiles he’s ever seen on the man, “You brought these for my Niffler!”

With the force of that grin pointed at him Percival is helpless to do anything but nod. Newt laugh rings out like music between them and he nuzzles into the fur of the Niffler when the creature suddenly climbs up onto Newt’s shoulder. The Niffler only has eyes for the treasure though, and he glances at Newt cautiously as he reaches a hand towards it. The magizoologist grins and nods.

“Go on, it’s yours.” The little creature doesn’t need to be told twice. He lunges for the box, stuffing handfuls of treasure into its pockets, digging through the pile and throwing out a few things that weren’t very shiney or the handmade pin made from cloth that had been made by his great grandmother. Dougal picks the thing up off the floor and holds it out to him. Percival takes it with a ‘thank you’.

When he looks back the Niffler is staring at Graves, head titled slightly before he jumps forward. Graves jerks forward and tries to catch the little guy, but he needn’t have worried as the Niffler just grabs onto his sleeve and climbs its nimble way into his vest pocket.

Newt makes a noise of protest and snaps forward, catching the Niffler by the leg before he fully escapes into his pocket, something Graves wouldn’t have expected him to fit into.

He extracts the creature from Percival’s pocket, dangling him upside down and giving him a very unimpressed look. Percival pats down his pocket and finds his pocketwatch missing.

“He’s got my watch.”

“Don’t be so greedy you nuisance,” Newt scolds, giving the creature a shake. The Niffler hold a hand over its slightly bulging pouch to hold its treasures in. “Give Percival his watch back.” They stare eachother down for a few tense seconds before the Niffler huffs and reaches in its pouch, pulling out Percival’s watch. Newt smiles and rights the creature, who drops the watch into Newt’s hand and the scurries off.

Newt shoots him an apologetic smile and returns the watch.

“He could’ve kept it, i can always get another.” Graves takes the watch anyway and pockets it. Newt picks his bucket back up.

“Don’t encourage him too much, or he’s never going to stop.” he teases, and the look he’s giving Percival can only be described as fond, daresay besotted.

Even though the gift didn’t work out exactly as planned, Percival can’t help but mark this attempt a success as he follows Newt out the door and into his world of fantastic beasts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think :) Thanks for reading chapter 2!


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